1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cooling device for cooling sheets and an image forming apparatus provided with the cooling device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has been known a cooling device that is used in an image forming apparatus and that cools sheets heated by a fixing device.
Patent Literature 1 discloses a heat exchanging device provided in the image forming apparatus. This heat exchanging device is provided with a cooling belt for feeding sheets and a liquid cooling-type cooling plate where six flow channels through which cooling water flows are provided side by side in a sheet feeding direction and where the flow channels are connected by a connecting pipe. In addition, in this heat exchanging device, in the flow channel on the most upstream side in the sheet feeding direction in the six flow channels, there is provided an inlet through which the cooling water flows in is provided, and in the flow channel on the most downstream side in the same direction, there is provided an outlet through which the cooling water is discharged. By the contact of the sheet with the cooling plate via the cooling belt, heat of the sheet is transmitted to the cooling water flowing through the flow channel, and the sheet is cooled.